White powdery spots all over camper

Bholland85 · 12-02-2019, 12:09 PM

Anyone ever experienced the same issue I currently have going on?
So about 4 weeks ago I cleaned and treated my roof (Used Protect All cleaner and treatment) like I have done multiple times in the past with NO issues. Well this time has been different, I just went to load up the camper to take it to the dealer for some warranty repairs and noted a small spot on the side of the camper, as I started investigating I noticed these same spots were ALL over the camper on all sides. As you can see from the pictures it basically looks like someone has spray the complete camper with that snow in a can that people use on their windows. I have scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed with very little success. It is coming off the fiberglass better than the graphics and im worried about using anything more than soap and water because I do not want to damage the paint or graphics.
I know it is coming from the roof because it is also all over the upper drain rails.

Again has anyone ran in to this before? If so, was it something I may have done wrong (even though Ive always done it this way with no issues), is this a known issue with this product? Recommendations on cleaning the roof and treating it before cleaning the sides? Help, any recommendations/help would greatly be appreciated

Attachment/Pic 2 is of an area then Attachment/pic 3 is of the same area after cleaning it with A LOT of elbow grease

madatme · 12-02-2019, 12:29 PM

I have no idea but I would stop using the product and see if it stops, seems like some kind of a reaction, my thought

NMWildcat · 12-02-2019, 12:42 PM

I also use ProtectAll rubber roof cleaner and treatment, and have for many years, usually twice a year. Like yourself, never had any problems. So this interests me for obvious reasons.
Has anything else happened in your area in the same time period? Weather, any type of spraying, insect invasion, etc? Did the product have a chance to dry before rain, snow, or heavy dew?
I find it hard to believe that the roof product would cover the sides as completely as described to cause any residue. The product, if you used as instructed, should never touch the sides ( no rinse) and if there was any residue after drying, it should flow down the gutter and out the spouts, not down the sides.
I did get some streaking on the roof once when the conditioner didn't dry before a rain (I thought I was in a hurry and pushed it). After drying, I reapplied the conditioner, and all was well.

Hopefully you will find the cause of your spotting residue and let us know.
Good luck!

**Iwritecode** · 12-02-2019, 12:44 PM

Is it possible that it came from the trees or bushes?

5picker · 12-02-2019, 12:46 PM

I'll assume it is an EDPM Rubber roof and not TPO?

TPO roofs DO NOT need any kind of treatment other than washing.

If EDPM.. they do tend to 'shed' some of the oxidized rubber that happens from normal weathering. I don't know anything about the product you used but if you believe it is causing a reaction to the rubber roof then you may want to give it another good scrubbing with Dawn or Spic and Span and use something different for treatment.

I don't see that you have a signature line set up so I don't know how old your R/V is?
Had you ever cleaned/treated previously on this R/V?
Did you get on the roof since this is happening and have a look?

One last thing... was anything painted nearby that you know of?
Even a bridge a mile down the road could cause overspray to float in the air for some distance.
How about pollen of some sort?
Just throwing things out there...

mustardjim · 12-02-2019, 01:44 PM

looks to me like overspray from painting contractors. Is it only on one side? Overspray seldom hits all 4 sides of something. Good luck

Oaklevel · 12-02-2019, 01:54 PM

My suggestion is since you did the treatment four weeks ago is to look your area / neighborhood (or where it is stored) and ask around to see if anyone else had issues. Looks more like an over spray to me.

Welcome to the forum its been many years ago, we were just down the road from you in Grafton. We moved to the Martinsville area a few years back.

McCormickJim · 12-02-2019, 02:12 PM

I'm not saying I know what it is on your camper, I don't.

The next thing I'd personally try, that won't harm your paint or decals, is vinegar.

2 oz white vinegar in a 1-qt. spary bottle. Fill the remaining quart with water.

Spray and wipe.

Good luck to you.

Bholland85 · 12-02-2019, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

I also use ProtectAll rubber roof cleaner and treatment, and have for many years, usually twice a year. Like yourself, never had any problems. So this interests me for obvious reasons.
Has anything else happened in your area in the same time period? Weather, any type of spraying, insect invasion, etc? Did the product have a chance to dry before rain, snow, or heavy dew?
I find it hard to believe that the roof product would cover the sides as completely as described to cause any residue. The product, if you used as instructed, should never touch the sides ( no rinse) and if there was any residue after drying, it should flow down the gutter and out the spouts, not down the sides.
I did get some streaking on the roof once when the conditioner didn't dry before a rain (I thought I was in a hurry and pushed it). After drying, I reapplied the conditioner, and all was well.

Hopefully you will find the cause of your spotting residue and let us know.
Good luck!

Thanks NMWildcat. I used this product on my previous camper (2010 Surveyor) with no issues. Used it on my new camper (19 Vengeance Rogue) multiple times with no issues until now. I always follow the directions on both the cleaner and treatment with great results. As for weather events, insect spraying, etc. - nothing major to speak of. As for the proper cure time, after cleaning the roof I allowed for 48hrs dry time, prior to putting down the treatment I used a leaf blower to remove any loose debris. I used a spray bottle and a new sponge and put on the treatment which had about 3-4days to dry prior to any heavy dew exposure and about a week before and heavy rain.

I plan to write/call the company but I think we both know how that usually goes, they push the blame on the person doing the application

Bholland85 · 12-02-2019, 02:19 PM

mustardjim & Oaklevel

Thank you for the replies. It defiantly is not over spray, none of my other vehicles parked around the camper has the same issue. Also to the touch it isn't hard or gritty like over spray. It is defiantly coming from the roof as the heavy spots of concentration is at the front corners where the gutter spouts are draining and on the left side of the camper due to the level of the camper. Also, the same product is all inside the gutter rails and inside the gutter spouts.

Bholland85 · 12-02-2019, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McCormickJim

I'm not saying I know what it is on your camper, I don't.

The next thing I'd personally try, that won't harm your paint or decals, is vinegar.

2 oz white vinegar in a 1-qt. spary bottle. Fill the remaining quart with water.

Spray and wipe.

Good luck to you.

Thank you McCormickJim, I will give this a shoot.

I tried the old school WD40 trick which worked like a charm. I tried it on a 12"x12" spot and washed it immediately after. Now the thought of doing all 4 sides of a 40' camper to include gutter rails, seals, etc. makes me mad.

Bholland85 · 12-02-2019, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5picker

I'll assume it is an EDPM Rubber roof and not TPO?

TPO roofs DO NOT need any kind of treatment other than washing.

If EDPM.. they do tend to 'shed' some of the oxidized rubber that happens from normal weathering. I don't know anything about the product you used but if you believe it is causing a reaction to the rubber roof then you may want to give it another good scrubbing with Dawn or Spic and Span and use something different for treatment.

I don't see that you have a signature line set up so I don't know how old your R/V is?
Had you ever cleaned/treated previously on this R/V?
Did you get on the roof since this is happening and have a look?

One last thing... was anything painted nearby that you know of?
Even a bridge a mile down the road could cause overspray to float in the air for some distance.
How about pollen of some sort?
Just throwing things out there...

Thank you for the reply 5picker.

It is defiantly not over spray, see previous post about that.

The roof is EPDM and like my old campers I always get the "white haze" run off of the roof over time however that comes right off with soap and water and is normal.

The camper is a 2019 Vengeance Rogue 32v. I have not got on the camper since finding this as it was raining this morning when I discovered it. Looks like the weather the next few days will be dry which will hopefully give me the chance to do some more investigating and A LOT of cleaning

5picker · 12-02-2019, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bholland85

Thank you McCormickJim, I will give this a shoot.

I tried the old school WD40 trick which worked like a charm. I tried it on a 12"x12" spot and washed it immediately after. Now the thought of doing all 4 sides of a 40' camper to include gutter rails, seals, etc. makes me mad.

One of your photos shows what looks like the bottom couple inches of an awning arm. (next to the door?)
It has the white stuff on the outside part of the arm.

It sticks out away from the side of the camper at least an inch maybe more.
If the white stuff is running off the roof, I see no way water could have run off the roof and deposited the specs on the arm unless you store it in a wind tunnel. LOL!

Also, the evenness of the 'over spray' across all areas of the R/V would indicate this isn't running off the roof. Maybe the gutters and maybe where the gutters drain but not all four sides evenly coated. Water simply doesn't run off a R/V roof that way. Even in a downpour. Especially the front/rear caps.

Anything else parked nearby that has anything on it?
Tires/wheels/bumper/hitch?

Bholland85 · 12-02-2019, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5picker

One of your photos shows what looks like the bottom couple inches of an awning arm. (next to the door?)
It has the white stuff on the outside part of the arm.

It sticks out away from the side of the camper at least an inch maybe more.
If the white stuff is running off the roof, I see no way water could have run off the roof and deposited the specs on the arm unless you store it in a wind tunnel. LOL!

Also, the evenness of the 'over spray' across all areas of the R/V would indicate this isn't running off the roof. Maybe the gutters and maybe where the gutters drain but not all four sides evenly coated. Water simply doesn't run off a R/V roof that way. Even in a downpour. Especially the front/rear caps.

Anything else parked nearby that has anything on it?
Tires/wheels/bumper/hitch?

Yes that is the front awning arm. So the way the camper is leveled off parked in the drive way and the built in sloping of the roof it is causing heavy concentration of water drainage between the awning fabric and the front arm, which is why there is a heavy substance concentration in that area and on the arm. It is hard to take "complete" picture of the unit to show the full picture and unevenness of the substance. If it was over spray it would be on one side (possibly a side and one or both ends) of the camper and evenly coated. That is not the case, the heaviest concentration of the substance is around the drain spouts on the front corners and at the roof slope which is about 3' rearward of the gutter drain spouts. The substance has heavier concentration at the roof run off locations. The rest of the camper will get water run down from the roof in heavy down pours especially if the gutter drainage cant keep up and they over flow and run on to the sides of the camper

As for the tires/rims on the camper - clean no spots.
The vehicle parked next to it - clean. The other vehicles parked in the same drive way - clean.

Vince and Charlette · 12-02-2019, 03:37 PM

Got something like this a few years ago. Turned out to be paint from road striping that sprayed all over my MH. Had to pick hundreds of these small spots off with my fingernail one at a time.

5picker · 12-02-2019, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bholland85

Yes that is the front awning arm. So the way the camper is leveled off parked in the drive way and the built in sloping of the roof it is causing heavy concentration of water drainage between the awning fabric and the front arm, which is why there is a heavy substance concentration in that area and on the arm. It is hard to take "complete" picture of the unit to show the full picture and unevenness of the substance. If it was over spray it would be on one side (possibly a side and one or both ends) of the camper and evenly coated. That is not the case, the heaviest concentration of the substance is around the drain spouts on the front corners and at the roof slope which is about 3' rearward of the gutter drain spouts. The substance has heavier concentration at the roof run off locations. The rest of the camper will get water run down from the roof in heavy down pours especially if the gutter drainage cant keep up and they over flow and run on to the sides of the camper

As for the tires/rims on the camper - clean no spots.
The vehicle parked next to it - clean. The other vehicles parked in the same drive way - clean.

Well I hope you get it figured out.
That would be disappointing if you cleaned it all off for it to return next time it rains.

Bholland85 · 12-02-2019, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5picker

Well I hope you get it figured out.
That would be disappointing if you cleaned it all off for it to return next time it rains.

Thanks 5picker for all you advice and help.

I have defiantly narrowed it down to something going on up top and running down, no over spray. Since posting this, the weather went from nice and sunny (dry camper) to raining again. After it stopped raining this afternoon and had some time to dry I went back outside and inspected the areas I previously cleaned (this morning) and the substance was back at those areas.

NMWildcat · 12-02-2019, 07:33 PM

Interesting. So what does the roof look like and how does it feel? I guess I'm asking if you can see/feel the particles on the roof that are washing down the gutters and spouts.

Frank47 · 12-03-2019, 10:25 AM

Read the warnings on the product. It sounds like it did not cure. Was it old ,was it exposed to heat or freezing before using?

Bholland85 · 12-03-2019, 11:39 AM

Finally got a chance to go out there and check the roof in the daylight/sun and after it had time to dry a little from all of the rain last night. The roof is smooth (not gritty - the sides of the camper where the substance is, it is not gritty either) and swiped my hand across it in multiple locations and did not get any chalky residue on my hand. That being said as you can see from the picture, the gutter rails are slam fill of the chalky residue that I can slide out in lumps (drag my finger through the rails). This being said I still do not understand why the substance is so spoty the way it is on the camper side and not streaking like normal. Again, this on all 4 sides of the camper and anywhere run off water will tough (heavier concentration of the substance where water run off is concentrated), wheels and tires - not a spot, all my other vehicles parked beside the camper and in my drive way - not a spot. My aluminum shed at the back right corner has the substance on it from where the water is running out of the gutter drain spout and running/hitting the shed. This all being said, it is NOT over spray from anything - no neighbors have had their house painted, the closes road stripping is over 1 mile from the camper. Something has happened between the cleaner/treatment and the roof rubber/caulking. The only thing I have found that works is WD-40 and elbow grease - vinegar mixed with water just spreads it and streaks up.

The product was just purchased earlier this year and stays in the house so it is in a temperature controlled environment, along with all of my paints - caulks - glue - etc. When the roof was cleaned it was probably high 50's, low 60's - the day the treatment was applied it was mid 70's and partly sunny (I remember this because I knew fall was coming and this was probably my last good weather chance)

Looks like A LOT of cleaning is in my future. I just have to figure out what is causing it, fix that before spending a ton of time cleaning up the mess that has been made

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